I had a
conversation yesterday with a student about my recent reflections and I’d like
to share it with you here. Happy Sunday!
B: Were the
reflections about contemplation and mindfulness helpful to you?
S. Yes. I like the thought of letting things be as
themselves. Undisturbed existence without classification or association.
B. Good. I’m glad
you grasped them. Now the trick is to do the same thing with people.
S. That’s difficult, especially on campus. I always label
people by what they are associated with. I feel like associations and
entanglements with people really characterize them.
B. Well, I wonder
what would happen if every once in a while you caught yourself doing that and
put your assessment on hold? It’s very difficult. It takes a lot of
self-awareness.
S. That would certainly be a start. I don’t think I could
immediately drop all assumptions. I would definitely have to ease into it. I’m
very externally aware but often I lose touch with myself.
B. It’s a life-long
process. Just this morning I caught myself doing the same thing. A was at a
meeting and someone said something that I didn’t agree with. My immediate
reaction was to “label” the speaker in a negative way (what a jerk!). But then
I set that aside and ended up with a completely different outlook about things
and how he was actually making an important contribution to the discussion.
S. It is very very difficult and sometimes I reflect my
personality based upon this association or assumption.
B. Most people do
that all the time. They never get to see things as they really are. But once
you realize that process you move to a higher state of relationship with what’s
around you. And you have already begun!
